Says the TOTUS: US President Barack Obama said Wednesday the outbreak of swine flu had created a "serious situation" in the United States requiring the "utmost precautions." (see link above.)
What's your definition of "utmost"?
Might it include:
- Closing the boarder
- Canceling all flights
- Canceling school and large gatherings
- Distributing masks nationwide
What is Obama's definition of "utmost":
President Obama urged local public health officials to be “vigilant about identifying suspected cases of the virus” and report them to appropriate state and federal authorities in a timely way.As for a vaccine, we don't actually have one yet for this strain, and one probably can't be available any time soon.
[...] The president also strongly urged -- upon the recommendation of public health officials -- for schools to take an active role in stopping the spread of the virus.
“Schools with confirmed or suspected cases of H1N1 should strongly consider temporarily closing so that we can be as safe as possible," he emphasized.
Mr. Obama said if more extensive steps need to be taken and should their local schools temporarily close, then parents should start thinking about contingency plans now for their children. Obama said that a plan to send kids to day care as an alternative is “not a good solution.”
The president urged people to take individual responsibility, the same steps that one would take to prevent a regular flu: wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth and stay home from work if you are sick.
The president made reference to the work his administration is doing and the requested $1.5 billion in emergency funding from Congress to provide an adequate supply of vaccines and the equipment to handle a potential outbreak.
So Obama's "utmost" seems to be helping parents decide what day-care provisions to make if their kids' schools close?
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